“Making an Impact In-Between”

Established to honour the legacy of our beloved son and brother, The Mark Wilkie Memorial Scholarship is intended to provide educational scholarships for students who are purposefully making an impact in the lives of others – not necessarily during moments of structured or scheduled activities, but instead during those moments that are “in-between”.

Mark was an outgoing, funny, brave young man who had a smile for everyone. He was a student athlete who loved being involved.  He found joy playing D1 Volleyball, cycling and juggling. He was an Honors-with-Distinction student, an avid Duke of Edinburgh participant, on the Yearbook committee, as well as the Co-Chair and facilitator of RFD (Respect for Diversity) and PLAYAS committees at his high school.

But more importantly than any of that, he purposefully and consistently led with kindness. Not just within his own circle of friends or grade, but within the entire student body and community. He did so not only inside all of these activities, but diligently and willfully in-between them. 

His ability to seize the small opportunities for acts of genuine kindness in-between class, in-between lunch, in-between practice, in-between committee meetings, in-between sports, and truly make people feel seen, valued, safe and included was both astonishing and rare inside the microcosm of high school and university, where staying within your clique, tribe or squad is often the socially accepted and easier thing to do.

As person after person after person spoke at his memorial, it became clear what an enormous impact he had on people during these in-between moments – stepping outside of the social norms of school to make a true difference in the lives of others.

To that end, the focus of this scholarship is not on academic performance, extracurricular activities, or structured community involvement. It is instead, all about how you are choosing to make an impact in the lives of others, seemingly big or small, during those important in-between moments.

Scholarship Value:

Typically there will be one scholarship in the amount of $1000 awarded annually, however the donor reserves the right to give this scholarship on a more or less frequent basis and amount as income levels and the Foundation permit.

Eligibility:

To be eligible for the scholarship you must be a Horton High School Student pursuing a post secondary education at a Canadian University or Community College.

Candidates will be adjudicated on the extent to which they embody Mark’s determination to consciously act on kindness towards others during the in-between moments in life.

The deadline for applications is April 15th 2025.

To APPLY for the Scholarship visit https://cfns-fcne.ca/mark-wilkie-memorial-scholarship/ and press the Apply button (Application opens January 1st, 2025)